Karl Lagerfeld The king is dead

The fashion Kaiser and one of the most important couturiers of the 20th and 21st century left his last breath at the age of 85, in Paris, a few days ago. The world will surely be emptier without its talent, insight and restless spirit. Auf wiedersehen…

By Vana Antonopoulou
Photos: Yannis Vlamos

Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1933 (the exact date is unknown, but presumed to be the 10th of September). A fortuneteller had told his mother that her son would become a bishop, and she forbade him to enter a church. Perhaps so he had stated himself in an interview. After all, the ingenious designer was known to love evading answers, especially those referring to his past. The result was that he was among the few people who actually built their own personal myth. Known simply by his first name, but also as a kaiser, Lagerfeld was not an ordinary designer. He was a workaholic, multitalented, passionate and absolute, while he seemed never to sleep, while he was always busy with a new project in the making. It is no coincidence that he worked simultaneously for two of the most important families in the fashion world without ever worrying about his work: for the Wertheimer, who had acquired the Chanel House from Coco herself (for almost 40 years!), and for the Arnault, owners of the Fendi House (for 52 years!).

Born to be a superstar, he enjoyed being at the center of attention, while his tireless nature made him, after so many decades in the heart of fashion, miss only a single show finale from the hundreds he had designed and inspired: That of the haute couture of the Chanel house, in Paris, last January. It was his last collection, while he was still alive…